Vacationing Intentionally

Spring and summer breaks are right around the corner and provide an opportunity for grandparents to spend concentrated time with grandchildren, to have intentional conversations to strengthen relationships, and to establish lifelong faith in Christ. Why not take advantage of your grandchild’s spring break or time off from school this summer to plan a family vacation that is fun and purposeful at the same time? There are lots of options, but this post is going to highlight two ideas that are impactful and enjoyable. 

Creation Museum and Ark Encounter

Our family has been to the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter numerous times and it is a faith-building, conversation-starting, wonderful experience. The Creation Museum and Ark Encounter are located near Cincinnati Ohio, which makes it a drivable destination for a large portion of people in the United States. We live in the suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota and can make the drive in a day. You will need a couple days, ideally one day for the Ark and one for the Creation Museum. A half a day was perfect for my younger children, but all families are different. The movies, music, displays, and book store are all fantastic. The apologetic material that we purchased for our children have been read again and again. 

The staff at the Creation Museum created an educational guide that is worth purchasing and will help you bring some intentionality and talking points to the different displays. They have created different guides for several grade levels, K-2nd, 3rd-6th, and 7th-adult. There are both student guides and leader guides. Individual copies cost $1.99. We added one extra element that has helped to drive home the truth that our children experience at the Creation Museum. On our drive home we also stop at a natural history museum and discuss the naturalistic, evolutionary beliefs in the displays. On our last trip, my children had a wonderful discussion with the tour guide at the natural history museum about the fallacies behind evolution. We’ve done this trip twice with our children and they recently requested that we do it again. I guess they enjoyed it!

Washington D.C.

Do your grandchildren know the true history of America and how the principles in the Bible shaped the founding of our country? American history is under attack by individuals who want your grandchildren to believe our country was founded by racist, colonialist, bigoted people and must be torn down and replaced with a different form of government. You have a wonderful opportunity to teach your grandchildren about our country, the influence of Christianity on it, and the biblical principles that shape our country. You can learn along with your grandchildren! 

Stephen McDowell, the founder of the Providence Foundation, created a helpful tool that can be used on a self-guided tour of many of the most popular sites in Washington D.C. including the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court, the Capitol Building, the National Archives, the Washington Monument, the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Jefferson Memorial. For a brief overview, click on this link. For $16.99, you can purchase this book. This unique book will guide you through famous historical sites, recounting important providential events, and tell the Christian history of the people who founded this nation and who are honored with monuments, memorials, and statues. Includes: Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Mt. Vernon, Jamestown, Williamsburg, Yorktown, Monticello, and more. Presents biographical sketches of many Founders, highlighting their personal faith: Washington, Jefferson, William Penn, Madison, Patrick Henry, and more. From the paintings in the Capitol to the story of the Liberty Bell, learn how our national buildings, monuments, and heroes declare that America was a nation birthed with a firm reliance on Almighty God.